Cancer Imaging and Treatment

ABSTRACT

Provided herein are compounds useful for diagnostic imaging and/or therapeutic purposes. Each compound comprises a ligand for the chemokine receptor CXCR4, which has a binding affinity for the CXCR4 receptor, measured as IC50 in the presence of  125 I-CPCR4, of 250 nM or lower. The ligand is a cyclic oligopeptide moiety having a motif B-Arg or B-(Me)Arg within the cyclic moiety, wherein B is a basic amino acid, a derivative thereof, or phenylalanine, provided that the motif is B-Arg when B is a N α -methyl derivative of a basic amino acid, and provided that the cyclic oligopeptide moiety has a sequence other than cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly] or cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn-Arg-NaI-Gly].

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 12/280,829, filed Aug. 27, 2008, which claims the priority of PCTapplication PCT/GB2007/000684, filed Feb. 27, 2007, which claims thepriority of GB Application No. 0603901.0 filed Feb. 27, 2006 and GBApplication No. 0610962.3 filed Jun. 2, 2006, all of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the imaging and treatment of cancer. Inparticular, though not exclusively, it relates to compositions suitablefor the targeting of radionuclides to cells expressing the chemokinereceptor CXCR4 for the purposes of imaging and treatment thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A method for the early assessment of the metastatic potential andmetastatic spread of tumors would be a valuable tool for therapyprediction and control. Recently a key role in metastasis was attributedto the chemokine receptor CXCR4 (Müller et al., Nature 410 (2001) 50).In a variety of tumors such as breast and prostate cancer, CXCR4 hasbeen found to play a dominating role during tumor cell homing and wasshown to be expressed, both in primaries and metastases.

Stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α) is the endogenous ligand forCXCR4 (Nagasawa T. et al. PNAS. 91 (1994) 2305). Peptide-basedantagonists for CXCR4 have been described, including CPCR4 (also knownas FC131, and having the sequence cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly]) (SEQ IDNO:1) (see Fujii N. et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed 42 (2003) 3251). CXCR4is a co-receptor for HIV-1 and HIV-2, enabling entry of the viruses intocells. EP 1541585 describes radiolabeled SDF-1α for histology studies.This document also discloses a number of relatively bulky syntheticpeptide antagonists of CXCR4. WO 2004/087608 discloses a CXCR4antagonist labeled with biotin. Detection of such a compound requiresthe addition of a second, streptavidin-bearing reporter compound. Theantagonists exemplified in WO 2004/087608 are peptides of 14 amino acidscyclised by means of a disulfide bond between Cys residues at positions4 and 13. An Arg-Arg motif is present at positions 1 and 2, i.e. outsidethe cyclic moiety.

Until now, investigations with antagonists for CXCR4 (both peptide andnon-peptide) have essentially been restricted to their potential use asinhibitors of the metastatic process or HIV infection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides acompound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof,comprising a ligand for the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and a detectablelabel, the ligand having a binding affinity for the CXCR4 receptor,measured as IC50 in the presence of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4, of 250 nM or lower,wherein the ligand comprises a cyclic oligopeptide moiety having themotif B-Arg or B-(Me)Arg within the cyclic moiety, and wherein B is abasic amino acid, a derivative thereof, or phenylalanine, provided thatthe motif is B-Arg when B is a N^(α)-methyl derivative of a basic aminoacid.

In certain embodiments, the ligand for CXCR4 is preferably synthetic. Itis currently preferred that the ligand binds to CXCR4 with an affinity(IC50) of 200 nM or less, more preferably 100 nM or less, and mostpreferably 50 nM or less. The term ‘IC50’ refers to the concentration oftest compound required to reduce binding of the radiolabeled referencepeptide ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 to CXCR4-expressing cells to 50% of maximum binding.The person of ordinary skill in the art would readily be able todetermine the IC50 of a given compound, and a method for doing so isdescribed below. Compounds of the invention may bind to the CXCR4receptor without activating the receptor (i.e. antagonist properties).Alternatively, compounds of the invention may compete with theendogenous ligand for the receptor, but activate the receptor to alesser degree (i.e. partial agonist properties). As a furtheralternative, compounds of the invention may bind to the CXCR4 receptorand reduce subsequent signal transduction below the baseline,non-activated level (i.e. negative efficacy, or inverse agonistproperties). In certain preferred embodiments, the compounds of theinvention bind to the CXCR4 receptor without activating the receptor. Inother preferred embodiments, the compounds of the invention do notcomprise ligands with full agonist properties at CXCR4.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows the fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) results fromtransfection of cells in vitro with a vector coding for CXCR4 (A) and aGFP reporter (B).

FIG. 2 illustrates the ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 binding parameters at CXCR4 on Jurkatcells (A, C) and a comparison thereof with ¹²⁵I-SDF-1α (B, D)

FIG. 3 illustrates the biodistribution of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 followingintravenous injection thereof in nude mice (A, B).

FIG. 4 shows PET/SPECT images of radiolabelled CPCR4 distribution inmice bearing CXCR4 positive and negative tumors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used herein, the expression ‘(Me)Xaa’ means an N^(α)-methylderivative of an amino acid. The expression ‘Xaa(substituent)’ meansthat the side chain of the amino acid is derivatized with the indicatedsubstituent. The expression ‘Xaa/(Me)Xaa’ means that the stated aminoacid may be unmethylated or may bear an N^(α)-methyl group. The aminoacid abbreviations used herein refer to the L-enantiomer of therespective amino acid, unless the expression ‘D-Xaa’ is used, in whichcase the D enantiomer is denoted. The term ‘basic amino acid’ as usedherein denotes a naturally occurring or synthetic (preferably naturallyoccurring) amino acid having a side chain capable of receiving a proton,and becoming positively charged, under normal physiological conditions.Accordingly, basic amino acids include lysine, arginine, citrulline(Cit), ornithine, histidine, Dap (2,3-diaminopropionic acid) and Dab(2,4-diaminobutyric acid). Preferred basic amino acids are lysine,arginine, citrulline, ornithine and histidine, more preferably arginineand ornithine.

Compounds of the invention may provide an efficient probe for the invivo targeting of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor. The compounds bind withhigh affinity and specificity to their binding site and allow readyimaging (by a variety of methods) and hence a clear delineation of CXCR4positive tumors (and any associated metastases) in vivo. This new classof probes/tracers may provide highly valuable tools for theinvestigation of the metastatic potential of tumors and early imaging,and potentially radionuclide therapy, of metastatic processes.

The detectable label is preferably selected from fluorescent moieties,magnetic or paramagnetic moieties, or radionuclides. For manyapplications, radionuclides are preferred. The label is detectablewithout the addition of further reagents, by means of an output ofdetectable electromagnetic radiation or other nuclear radiation from thelabel itself, or as a result of its magnetic or paramagnetic properties.The ligand and the detectable label may be covalently bound to eachother.

The cyclic oligopeptide moiety preferably comprises 20 amino acidresidues or less, more preferably 9 residues or less. In preferredembodiments, the cyclic oligopeptide is a pentapeptide. The cyclicoligopeptide is preferably cyclised via a peptide bond, which may bebetween its N and C termini, or may be cyclised via a disulfide bondbetween two cysteine residues when present. The compound may includeother moieties in addition to the cyclic oligopeptide moiety and thedetectable label. Accordingly, additional peptide sequences may beattached, or groups capable of altering the pharmacokinetic and/orphysicochemical properties of the compound (e.g. hydrophilic groups suchas sugars or polyethylene glycol chains). The ligand may includeadditional components to the cyclic oligopeptide moiety. Alternatively,the ligand may consist of the cyclic oligopeptide moiety.

In certain preferred embodiments, the cyclic oligopeptide moiety has thesequence:

cyclo[D-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-B-Arg/(Me)Arg-Z-(Ala)_(n)-X]

wherein:

B is as defined above;

Z is an amino acid containing an aromatic group in its side chain;

n is 1 or 0, provided that n is 1 only when the preceding four aminoacids in the cyclic moiety sequence are D-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI (SEQID NO:36), NaI being L-3-(2-naphthyl)alanine; and

X is selected from Gly, (Me)Gly, Ala, Dap, Dap(FP)((N-fluoropropionyl)-diaminopropionic acid), Dab, Dab(FP)((N-fluoropropionyl)-diaminobutyric acid), Dab(FB)((N-fluorobenzoyl)-diaminobutyric acid) and Dap(FB)((N-fluorobenzoyl)-diaminopropionic acid).

Z may be selected from NaI, Dap(FB), AMS (FB) (an oxime of aminooxyserine (O-amino serine) and 4-fluorobenzaldehyde), and, when B is(Me)Arg, (Me)NaI. Z is preferably NaI.

X is preferably selected from Gly, (Me)Gly, Ala, Dap (diaminopropionicacid) and Dap(FP) ((N-fluoropropionyl)-diaminopropionic acid). X ispreferably Gly or Dap(FP).

B is preferably a basic amino acid. The basic amino acid is preferablyselected from Arg, Orn, D-Orn, Cit and His, or N-substituted derivativesthereof. Most preferably, B is Arg or Orn. Ornithine residues confer theadvantage of an amino-containing side chain which is relativelystraightforward to derivatize. In certain embodiments, B may beN^(α)-substituted with a Me group. Preferably, no more than one residuein the cyclic oligopeptide moiety is N^(α)-substituted with a Me group.

When B is Orn or D-Orn, the ornithine residue may be substituted atN^(δ) with one or two groups which may be selected from fluorobenzoyl(FB), fluoropropionyl (FP), acetyl (Ac), amido (Am) (i.e. so as to forma urea-type moiety), methyl (Me), 1-naphthylmethyl (N1),2-naphthylmethyl (N2), benzyl (Bz) and acyl spacer moieties. Preferably,the acyl spacer moiety is an acyl group containing a chain of 1-14carbons, optionally interrupted by heteroatoms, and preferably having anucleophilic functional group at its end distal to the ornithine N^(δ).The nucleophilic functional group may be, for example, an amino orhydroxyl group. This group enables further moieties to be added to theend of the spacer, the purpose of the spacer being to minimize theeffects of any additional groups on the CXCR4 binding capability of thecyclic oligopeptide. The acyl spacer moiety may be selected fromaminohexanoyl (Ahx), triethyleneglycolamino acyl (TGAS,i.e.—COCH₂(OCH₂CH₂)₂NH₂), (Ahx)₂, (Ahx)₃, (TGAS)₂ and (TGAS)₃. Whenmultimers of these spacers are present, the repeating units are joinedtogether by amide bonds. Currently preferred spacer groups are Ahx,TGAS, (Ahx)₃, (TGAS)₂ and (TGAS)₃. The substituents described forornithine, including the acyl spacer moieties, may also be employed whenB is Lys, Dap or Dab. In such cases, the spacer moiety preferably has anucleophilic functional group at its end distal to its point ofattachment to the oligopeptide (i.e., the N^(ε) when B is Lys).

In certain embodiments, B is Orn or D-Orn, preferably D-Orn, substitutedat N^(α) with a Me group. When B is Orn, it may be substituted at N^(δ)with FB, FP, Ac, Am, N1, N2, Me and N1, Me and N2, Bz, Bz and FB, Bz andFP, Me and FB, Me and FP, or Me.

In yet other embodiments, B is Orn or D-Orn, preferably D-Orn,substituted at N^(δ) with FB, FP, Me and FB, or Me and FP, andoptionally substituted at N^(α) with a Me group. Preferred substituentsin this instance are FB, and Me and FB, optionally in conjunction withsubstitution of N^(α) with a Me group.

The cyclic oligopeptide moiety may have the sequence:cyclo[D-Tyr-B-Arg-Z-X], wherein B, Z and X are selected from the optionslisted above, provided that not more than one of the residues in thesaid sequence may be N^(α)-methylated. Preferably in such embodiments, Bis Arg. Alternatively, the cyclic oligopeptide moiety may have thesequence: cyclo[D-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-B-Arg/(Me)Arg-Z-X], wherein Z and X areselected from the options listed above and wherein B is selected fromArg, (Me)Arg, Orn, Cit, Orn(FB), Orn(FP), Orn(Ac), Orn(Am), Orn(N1),Orn(N2), Orn(Me, N1), Orn(Me, N2), Orn(Me), Orn(Bz), Orn(Bz,FB),Orn(Ahx), Orn(Ahx₂), Orn(Ahx₃), Orn(TGAS), Orn(TGAS₂), Orn(TGAS₃),Orn(Me,FB), D-Orn(FB), (Me)D-Orn(FB), (Me)D-Orn(Me,FB), His and Phe,provided that not more than one of the residues in the said sequence maybe N^(α)-methylated. In such embodiments, the first residue ispreferably D-Tyr. Also in such embodiments, Z is preferably NaI. Also insuch embodiments, X is preferably Gly. Also in such embodiments, thethird residue is preferably Arg.

In specific preferred embodiments, the cyclic oligopeptide moiety has asequence selected from:

(SEQ ID NO: 1) cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 2)cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 3)cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-(Me)Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 4)cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-(Me)Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 5)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 6) cyclo[D-Tyr-Cit-Arg-Nal-Gly](SEQ ID NO: 7) cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 8)cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Ala-Ala] (SEQ ID NO: 9)cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-Nal-(Me)Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 10)cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-(Me)Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 11)cyclo[(Me)D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 12)cyclo[(Me)D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 13)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 14)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(FP)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 15)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Ac)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 16)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Am)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 17)cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Dap(FP)] (SEQ ID NO: 18)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(N1)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 19)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(N2)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 20)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, N1)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 21)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, N2)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 22)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 23)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Bz)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 24)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Bz, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 25)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Ahx)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 26)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Ahx₃)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 27)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 28)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS₂)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 29)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS₃)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 30)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 31)cyclo[D-Tyr-D-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 32)cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)D-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 33)cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)D-Orn(Me, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 34)cyclo[D-Tyr-His-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 35)cyclo[D-Tyr-Phe-Arg-Nal-Gly]

More preferred oligopeptide moieties include those having the followingsequences

(SEQ ID NO: 1) cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 2)cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 3)cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-(Me)Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 5)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 6) cyclo[D-Tyr-Cit-Arg-Nal-Gly](SEQ ID NO: 13) cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 14)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(FP)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 15)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Ac)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ 1D NO: 16)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Am)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 18)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(N1)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 19)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(N2)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 20)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, N1)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 21)cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, N2)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 32)cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)D-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 34)cyclo[D-Tyr-His-Arg-Nal-Gly]

Particularly preferred oligopeptide moieties include those having asequence selected from

(SEQ ID NO: 5) cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 13)cyclo[D-Tyr-OrnArg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 32)cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)D-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly]

In preferred embodiments, the label is a radiolabel. The label may becovalently attached directly to the ligand, or may be attached (e.g., inthe case of a metal radiolabel) by means of a complexation agent whichis covalently attached to the ligand. When a spacer group is used, asdescribed above, the complexation agent may be attached via thenucleophilic group at the distal end of the spacer. Other intermediategroups to facilitate indirect attachment between the ligand and thelabel would be apparent to the person of ordinary skill in the art.

The cyclic pentapeptide cyclo(D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly) (also known asCPCR4 or FC131) (SEQ ID NO:1) binds to CXCR4 with high affinity. It isalso relatively easy to radiolabel, e.g. by using iodine radionuclidesattached to the tyrosine residue. In preliminary animal studies,radiolabeled CPCR4 showed around 10 times increased accumulation inCXCR4÷ tumors compared to control tumors. The pharmacokinetic and otherproperties of CPCR4 may be altered by modification of the amino acidresidues. In particular, N-methylation of an Arg residue, thesubstitution of Arg¹ for another cationic amino acid (e.g. ornithine),the insertion of Ala between NaI and Gly and the N-methylation of Tyr inthe resulting hexapeptides all lead to modified CXCR4 antagonistsmaintaining useful affinity for the receptor.

Preferably, the compound does not include an antibody or fragmentthereof as part of its structure.

In certain compounds of the invention, the radiolabel may be selectedfrom ¹⁸F, ¹²³I, ¹²⁴I and ¹²⁵I. ¹²³I is particularly useful when thecompound is to be used for in vivo single photon emission computedtomography (SPECT) studies. ¹²⁵I may be preferred for in vitro or exvivo uses of the compound. ¹⁸F and ¹²⁴I are particularly useful for invivo studies using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.

When the compound of the invention contains one or more Dap(FB),Dap(FP), Dab(FB), Dab(FP), FB or FP groups, the fluorine substituent maybe ¹⁸F. This presents a convenient means for radiolabelling suchcompounds. In preferred compounds of this type, the ¹⁸F is present on anFB or FP substituent at N^(□) of Orn or D-Orn.

Alternatively, the radiolabel may be selected from ²¹¹At, ²²⁵Ac, ²¹¹Biand ²¹²Bi. These radionuclides are all relatively low-range α-emitterswhich allow the compounds of the invention to be used for targetedradiotherapy. The low-range emission provides a safer radiotherapeuticapproach for metastases. For radiotherapy of primary tumors usingcompounds of the present invention, it may be preferred to use aradionuclide with longer-range emission and hence, in this case, theradiolabel may be selected from beta-emitters with low and higher range,e.g. ¹⁷⁷Lu or ⁹⁰Y, ¹⁸⁸Re and ¹³¹I, respectively.

In general, useful diagnostic isotopes (for PET and SPECT-baseddetection and imaging) for use in accordance with the present inventioninclude: ¹⁸F, ⁴⁷Sc, ⁵¹Cr, ⁵²Fe, ^(52m)Mn, ⁵⁶Ni, ⁵⁷Ni, ⁶²Cu, ⁶⁴Cu, ⁶⁷Ga,⁶⁸Ga, ⁷²As, ⁷⁵Br, ⁷⁶Br, ⁷⁷Br, ⁸²Br, ⁸⁹Zr, ^(94m)Tc, ⁹⁷Ru, ^(99m)Tc,¹¹¹In, ¹²³I, ¹²⁴I, ¹³¹I, ¹⁹¹Pt, ¹⁹⁷Hg, ²⁰¹Tl, ²⁰³Pb, ^(110m)In, ¹²⁰I.

In general, useful therapeutic isotopes for use in accordance with thepresent invention include: ³²P_(,) ⁶⁷Cu, ⁷⁷As, ⁹⁰Y, ⁹⁹Mo, ¹⁰³Ru, ¹⁰⁵Rh,109Pd, ¹¹¹Ag, ^(114m)In, ^(117m)Sn, ¹²¹Sn, ¹²⁷Te, ¹³¹I, ¹⁴⁰La, ¹⁴⁰Nd,¹⁴²Pr, ¹⁴³Pr, ¹⁴⁹Tb, ¹⁴⁹Pm, ¹⁵¹Pm, ¹⁵³Sm, ¹⁵⁹Gd, ¹⁶¹Tb, ¹⁶⁶Ho, ¹⁶⁶Dy,¹⁶⁹Er, ¹⁶⁹Yb, ¹⁷²Tm, ¹⁷⁵Yb, ¹⁷⁷Lu, ¹⁸⁶Re, ¹⁸⁸Re, 198Au, 199Au, ²¹¹At,²¹¹Bi, ²¹²Bi, ²¹³Bi, ²²⁵Ac.

In certain compounds of the invention, the radiolabel is bound to theligand by means of a complex between an organic complexation agent and aradionuclide, the complex being bound to the ligand in such a way as notto destroy its binding properties at the CXCR4 receptor. In suchembodiments, the complexation agent is preferably covalently bound tothe ligand, whilst the radiolabel may be covalently or non-covalentlybound to the complexation agent.

The use of complexation agents broadens the range of radionuclides whichmay be bound to the compounds of the invention. Preferred complexationagents include DOTA(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N′,N′,N″-tetraacetic acid) andderivatives thereof, TETA(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,4,8,11-tetraacetic acid), DTPA(diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) and HYNIC(hydrazinonicotinamide). The complexation agents may be bound toappropriate side chains of the amino acids of the cyclic oligopeptidesof the invention, or to linker groups bound to appropriate side chainsof the amino acids of the cyclic oligopeptides of the invention, i.e. soas to minimise disruption of the CXCR4-binding properties of thecompound. Alternatively, intervening spacer groups can be employed, asdescribed above.

It is also possible to modify the compounds of the invention by theaddition of one or more hydrophilic moieties (e.g. carbohydrates orpolyethylene glycol chains). Such modifications can be used to improvethe pharmacokinetics of the compounds in vivo. For example, acarbohydrate-modified peptide-based compound of the invention isexpected to exhibit reduced hepatic uptake and thus, compared with alipophilic peptide, should show somewhat delayed blood clearance andpredominantly renal excretion following administration. This leads tothe generation of an image which is obtainable soon after administrationand which is expected to be higher in contrast between CXCR4 positiveand CXCR4 negative tissues.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or esterthereof, comprising a cytotoxic moiety and a ligand for the chemokinereceptor CXCR4, the ligand having a binding affinity for the CXCR4receptor, measured as IC50 in the presence of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4, of 250 nM orlower, wherein the ligand comprises a cyclic oligopeptide moiety havingthe motif B-Arg or B-(Me)Arg within the cyclic moiety, and wherein B isa basic amino acid, a derivative thereof, or phenylalanine, providedthat the motif is B-Arg when B is a N^(α)-methyl derivative of a basicamino acid.

The optional and preferred features of the compounds of the first aspectof the invention are also to be understood to be preferred, asappropriate, in compounds of this second aspect. In particular, thecytotoxic moiety may be bound directly to the ligand or may be attachedvia a spacer group. Compounds of this aspect of the invention may beused for the targeted chemotherapy of tumours having metastaticpotential, and their associated metastases, as a result of therelatively high expression of CXCR4 by such tissues. Preferred cytotoxicmoieties may be selected from any of those cytotoxic compounds generallyused for chemotherapy of the tumour concerned.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided acompound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof,comprising a ligand for the chemokine receptor CXCR4, the ligand havinga binding affinity for the CXCR4 receptor, measured as IC50 in thepresence of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4, of 250 nM or lower, wherein the ligand comprisesa cyclic oligopeptide moiety having the motif B-Arg or B-(Me)Arg withinthe cyclic moiety, and wherein B is a basic amino acid, a derivativethereof, or phenylalanine, provided that the motif is B-Arg when B is aN^(α)-methyl derivative of a basic amino acid, and provided that thecyclic oligopeptide moiety does not have the sequencecyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly] (SEQ ID NO:1), nor the sequencecyclo[D-Tyr-Orn-Arg-NaI-Gly] (SEQ ID NO:5).

The compounds of the third aspect of the invention are useful forlabeling for use in diagnostics and imaging. They may also be coupled tocytotoxic moieties for targeted chemotherapy of CXCR4-positive tumours.Furthermore, they may also be used for chemotherapy on their own sincethey are capable of antagonistic properties at the CXCR4 receptor. Theoptional and preferred features of the compounds of the first aspect ofthe invention are also to be understood to be preferred, as appropriate,in compounds of this third aspect.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided acompound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof,comprising a ligand for the chemokine receptor CXCR4, wherein the ligandcomprises a cyclic oligopeptide moiety having the sequence:

cyclo[D-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-B-Arg/(Me)Arg-Z-(Ala)_(n)-X]

wherein:

B is as defined above;

Z is an amino acid containing an aromatic group in its side chain;

n is 1 or 0; and

X is selected from Gly, (Me)Gly, Ala, Dap, Dap(FP), Dab, Dab(FP),Dab(FB) and Dap(FB), the compound optionally comprising a detectablelabel, provided that, when the compound does not comprise a detectablelabel, the cyclic oligopeptide moiety does not have the sequencecyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly] (SEQ ID NO:1), nor the sequencecyclo[D-Tyr-Orn-Arg-NaI-Gly] (SEQ ID NO:5).

In this fourth aspect, Z may be selected from NaI, Dap(FB), AMS (FB),and (Me)NaI. Z is preferably NaI. Preferably, n is 1 only when thepreceding four amino acids in the cyclic moiety sequence areD-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI (SEQ ID NO:36). Preferably, Z is Me(NaI)only when B is Me(Arg). The other preferred and optional features of thefirst, second and third aspects of the invention are also applicable tothis fourth aspect, as appropriate. In particular, When B is Orn orD-Orn, the ornithine residue may be substituted at N^(δ) with one or twogroups which may be selected from fluorobenzoyl (FB), fluoropropionyl(FP), acetyl (Ac), palmitoyl (Palm; e.g. so as to form the peptidecyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Palm)-Arg-NaI-Gly]) (SEQ ID NO:37), amido (Am) (i.e. soas to form a urea-type moiety), methyl (Me), 1-naphthylmethyl (N1),2-naphthylmethyl (N2), benzyl (Bz) and acyl spacer moieties. Preferably,the acyl spacer moiety is an acyl group containing a chain of 1-16carbons, more preferably 1-14 carbons, optionally interrupted byheteroatoms, and preferably having a nucleophilic functional group atits end distal to the ornithine N^(δ). The nucleophilic functional groupmay be, for example, an amino or hydroxyl group. This group enablesfurther moieties to be added to the end of the spacer, the purpose ofthe spacer being to minimize the effects of any additional groups on theCXCR4 binding capability of the cyclic oligopeptide. The acyl spacermoiety may be selected from aminohexanoyl (Ahx), triethyleneglycolaminoacyl (TGAS, i.e. —COCH₂(OCH₂CH₂)₂NH₂), (Ahx)₂, (Ahx)₃, (TGAS)₂ and(TGAS)₃. When multimers of these spacers are present, the repeatingunits are joined together by amide bonds. Currently preferred spacergroups are Ahx, TGAS, (Ahx)₃, (TGAS)₂ and (TGAS)₃. The substituentsdescribed for ornithine, including the acyl spacer moieties, may also beemployed when B is Lys, Dap or Dab. In such cases, the spacer moietypreferably has a nucleophilic functional group at its end distal to itspoint of attachment to the oligopeptide (i.e., the N^(ε) when B is Lys).

In accordance with a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided apharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the invention asdescribed in the first, second, third or fourth aspects above, togetherwith one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. Preferably, thecomposition is suitable for injection.

Pharmaceutical compositions of this invention comprise any of thecompounds of the present invention, or pharmaceutically acceptable saltsor esters thereof, with any pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,adjuvant or vehicle. Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, adjuvants andvehicles that may be used in the pharmaceutical compositions of thisinvention, depending on the intended formulation and route ofadministration, include, but are not limited to, ion exchangers,alumina, aluminium stearate, lecithin, serum proteins, such as humanserum albumin, buffer substances such as phosphates, glycerine, sorbicacid, potassium sorbate, partial glyceride mixtures of saturatedvegetable fatty acids, water, salts or electrolytes, such as protaminesulfate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, potassium hydrogen phosphate,sodium chloride, zinc salts, colloidal silica, magnesium trisilicate,polyvinyl pyrrolidone, cellulose-based substances, polyethylene glycol,sodium carboxymethylcellulose, polyacrylates, waxes,polyethylene-polyoxypropylene-block polymers, polyethylene glycol andwool fat.

The pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may be administeredorally, parenterally, by inhalation spray, rectally, nasally, buccally,vaginally or via an implanted reservoir. As mentioned above, parenteraladministration is preferred. The pharmaceutical compositions of thisinvention may contain any conventional non-toxicpharmaceutically-acceptable carriers, adjuvants or vehicles. The termparenteral as used herein includes subcutaneous, intracutaneous,intravenous, intramuscular, intra-articular, intrasynovial,intrasternal, intrathecal, intralesional and intracranial injection orinfusion techniques. For most applications, intravenous or intralesional(e.g. intratumoral) injection is envisaged.

The pharmaceutical compositions may be in the form of a sterileinjectable preparation, for example, as a sterile injectable aqueous oroleaginous suspension. This suspension may be formulated according totechniques known in the art using suitable dispersing or wetting agents(such as, for example, Tween 80) and suspending agents. The sterileinjectable preparation may also be a sterile injectable solution orsuspension in a non-toxic parenterally-acceptable diluent or solvent,for example, as a solution in 1,3-butanediol. Among the acceptablevehicles and solvents that may be employed are mannitol solution, water,Ringer's solution and isotonic sodium chloride solution. In addition,sterile, fixed oils are conventionally employed as a solvent orsuspending medium. For this purpose, any bland fixed oil may be employedincluding synthetic mono- or diglycerides. Fatty acids, such as oleicacid and its glyceride derivatives are useful in the preparation ofinjectables, as are natural pharmaceutically-acceptable oils, such asolive oil or castor oil, especially in their polyoxyethylated versions.These oil solutions or suspensions may also contain a long-chain alcoholdiluent or dispersant such as Ph. Helv or a similar alcohol.

The pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may be orallyadministered in any orally acceptable dosage form including, but notlimited to, capsules, tablets, and aqueous suspensions and solutions. Inthe case of tablets for oral use, carriers which are commonly usedinclude lactose and corn starch. Lubricating agents, such as magnesiumstearate, are also typically added. For oral administration in a capsuleform, useful diluents include lactose and dried corn starch. Whenaqueous suspensions are administered orally, the active ingredient iscombined with emulsifying and suspending agents. If desired, certainsweetening and/or flavouring and/or colouring agents may be added.

The pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may also beadministered in the form of suppositories for rectal administration.These compositions can be prepared by mixing a compound of thisinvention with a suitable non-irritating excipient which is solid atroom temperature but liquid at the rectal temperature and therefore willmelt in the rectum to release the active components. Such materialsinclude, but are not limited to, cocoa butter, beeswax and polyethyleneglycols.

The pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may be administered bynasal aerosol or inhalation. Such compositions are prepared according totechniques well-known in the art of pharmaceutical formulation and maybe prepared as solutions in saline, employing benzyl alcohol or othersuitable preservatives, absorption promoters to enhance bioavailability,fluorocarbons, and/or other solubilizing or dispersing agents known inthe art.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method ofsynthesis of a compound according to the first aspect of the inventionas described above, the method comprising treating the ligand with asource of the detectable label under conditions such that the detectablelabel, or a complex between an organic complexation agent and the label,becomes bound to the ligand.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofsynthesis of a compound according to the second aspect as describedabove, the method comprising treating the ligand with a source of thecytotoxic moiety under conditions such that the cytotoxic moiety becomesbound, directly or indirectly, to the ligand.

The present invention also provides a compound according to theinvention as described above, for use in therapy or diagnosis.

In a related aspect, the invention also provides the use of a compoundaccording to the invention as described above in the preparation of amedicament for the treatment of a neoplastic condition.

By targeting appropriate radionuclides or cytotoxic components to CXCR4receptor-bearing tissues, it should be possible to provide a relativelyselective chemotherapy of neoplasias having metastatic potential. Anymetastases or circulating tumor cells resulting from such tumors shouldalso be targeted by the targeted radionuclide or cytotoxic component.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides the use of acompound as described above in relation to the first aspect of theinvention in the preparation of a medicament for the diagnostic imagingof a neoplastic condition. In preferred embodiments of this aspect ofthe invention, the neoplasia has, or is suspected of having, metastaticpotential. In certain embodiments, the neoplastic condition may bebreast or prostate cancer.

As mentioned above, the compounds of the first aspect of the inventionprovide a highly useful tool for the selective detection and imaging ofcells bearing CXCR4 receptors and hence having metastatic potential. Thecompounds may be administered by routine methods (e.g. i.v. injection)and images of the patient may be taken after a short time, by whichstage any tissues having a relatively high expression of CXCR4 will showa relative concentration of the detectable compound of the invention.

In a related aspect, the invention also provides a method of imagingneoplastic tissue, the method comprising the administration, to asubject having (or suspected of having) a neoplasia, of a compoundaccording to the first aspect of the invention, and the detection of thecompound following distribution thereof in vivo.

The said method of imaging preferably includes the further step,following the detection step, of generating an image of the detecteddistributed compound. The detection step may in particular be performedusing PET or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) when thelabel is a radionuclide. When magnetic or paramagnetic labels areemployed, magnetic resonance imaging is preferred.

In accordance with yet another aspect, the present invention provides amethod of determining the metastatic potential of cells of a neoplasia,the method comprising exposing the cells to a compound according to thefirst aspect of the present invention, or a composition as describedabove, so as to allow the compound to bind to CXCR4 receptors on thesurface of the cells, removing unbound compound from the vicinity of thecells, and determining the presence and/or amount of compound bound tothe cells.

The said method of determining the metastatic potential of cells may becarried out in vivo or in vitro (i.e. using a sample of cells or tissueremoved from a patient).

When the method of determining the metastatic potential of cells iscarried out using a compound according to the first aspect of theinvention, the imaging, or the determination of the presence and/oramount of bound compound, may in particular be performed using PET orsingle photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) when the label is aradionuclide. When magnetic or paramagnetic labels are employed,magnetic resonance imaging is preferred.

Other detectable labels for use in the compounds of the presentinvention include fluorescent components (e.g. green fluorescent protein(GFP), rhodamine).

The invention additionally provides, in yet another aspect, a method oftreatment of a neoplastic condition in a subject, the neoplasia having,or being suspected of having, metastatic potential, the methodcomprising the administration to the subject of a compound according tothe invention, or a composition as described above. In certainembodiments, the neoplastic condition may be breast or prostate cancer.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of exampleonly and with reference to the appended drawings.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Radiolabeled CPCR4 SPECT/PET Imaging 1.1 Summary1.1.1 Materials and Methods:

A method for early assessment of the metastatic potential of tumorswould be a valuable tool for therapy prediction and control. Recently akey role in metastasis was attributed to the chemokine receptor CXCR4.In a variety of tumors such as breast and prostate cancer, CXCR4 hasbeen found to play a dominating role during tumor cell homing and wasshown to be expressed, both in primaries and metastases. The aim of thisstudy was to develop a novel radiolabeled probe for the in vivo imagingof CXCR4 expression on tumors and metastases by SPECT and PET imaging.

CPCR4, a cyclic peptide (cyclo(D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly) (SEQ ID NO:1), wasradiolabeled and evaluated in binding assays on CXCR4-expressing Jurkatcells. The tumorigenic fibrosarcoma cell line CMS5 was retrovirallytransduced for stable CXCR4/GFP expression and characterized influorescence-activated cell sorting (FAGS) and radioligand bindingassays. Biodistribution studies and SPECT/PET imaging were carried outin CMS5/CXCR4⁺ mice. Tumors were further analyzed by autoradiography,IHC and GFP fluorescence.

1.1.2 Results and Conclusions:

Radiolabeled CPCR4 binds with high affinity (K_(D): 0.4±0.1 nM) andspecificity (>90%) in an antagonistic manner to endogenouslyCXCR4-expressing Jurkat cells and to transduced CXCR4/GFP-expressingCMS5 cells. CMS5/CXCR4⁺-fibrosarcomas were found to be a reliable CXCR4tumor model in mice, as confirmed by autoradiography,immunohistochemistry (IHC) and GFP fluorescence. Biodistribution studiesof i.v. injected radiolabeled CPCR4 showed 1 h post-injection 5.5±1.5%ID/g (injected dose/g) in the CMS5/CXCR4⁺ tumor and 0.6±0.2% ID/g in theCMS5/CXCR4⁻ control. Besides a rapid blood clearance and a lowbackground accumulation (<1.0% ID/g) a higher tracer uptake was found inthe liver 19.5±2.8% ID/g, intestine 17.2±2.9% ID/g and kidneys 12.2±2.3%ID/g. Using CPCR4-SPECT and animal PET imaging of mice, a cleardelineation of CXCR4⁺ tumors was possible, whereas no activityaccumulation was visible for CXCR4⁻ controls in the same animals.

In this study we succeeded in the development of the first radiolabeledprobe for in vivo targeting of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor. The tracerbinds with high affinity and specificity in an antagonistic manner toits binding site and allowed a clear delineation of CXCR4⁺ tumors invivo. We hypothesize that this new class of tracers will be verypromising probes for the investigation of the metastatic potential oftumors and early imaging and radionuclide therapy of metastaticprocesses.

1.2 Detailed Description of Example 1 1.2.1 Materials and Methods1.2.1.1 Peptide Synthesis and Radiolabeling

Peptides were synthesized by using standard solid-phase peptidesynthesis protocols according to the Fmoc strategy. The Fmoc amino acidsFmoc-Arg(Pbf), Fmoc-D-Tyr(tBu) and Fmoc-Gly were purchased fromNovabiochem (Bad Soden, Germany), Fmoc-2-naphthylalanine was obtainedfrom Bachem (Bubendorf, Switzerland). Peptide synthesis was performedmanually on a TCP (trityl chloride polystyrene) resin.O-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate(TBTU) and diphenyl phosphoryl azide (DPPA) were purchased from Alexisand Aldrich (Steinheim, Germany), respectively. IodoGen(1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3R,6R-diphenylglycoluril) was obtained from Pierce(Rockford, Ill., USA), sodium iodide-125 was purchased fromHartmann-Analytic GmbH (Braunschweig, Germany) and sodium iodide-123 wasobtained from Amersham Health (Eindhoven, The Netherlands). Sodiumiodide-124 was kindly provided by Prof. W. Brandau (Essen, Germany). Allother reagents were purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany) orSigma-Aldrich (Taufkirchen, Germany). Unless specified otherwise,solvents were used without further purification.

The synthesis of the cyclic pentapeptide CPCR4 and derivatives thereofwas performed as described recently with small modifications.[1, 2] Inbrief, after attachment of Fmoc-Gly-OH to the TCP-resin the remainingamino acids were coupled after activation with TBTU and subsequentdeprotection of the Fmoc group by using 20% piperidine in DMF,respectively. After peptide chain assembly, the resin-bound peptideswere treated with of a mixture of acetic acid, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanoland dichloromethane (2:2:6) for 2 h at room temperature. Afterwards theresin was filtered and washed twice with the cleavage mixture. Thecombined filtrates were evaporated in the presence of petrol ether invacuum.

For cyclization the side chain protected peptides were dissolved in DMFat a concentration of 2.5 mM. At −40° C., 5 equiv. NaHCO₃ and 3 equiv.DPPA were added and the solution was stirred overnight with warming toroom temperature. After filtration of the solid NaHCO₃, DMF wasevaporated in vacuum. The residue was triturated with water, filteredand washed with water and diethyl ether. The fully protected cyclizedpeptides were treated with of a solution of 95% TFA and 5% water for 2hours at room temperature. The deprotected peptide was precipitated fromice cold diethyl ether and centrifuged at 5° C. For the synthesis of thenon-radioactive iodinated reference peptide the amino acid buildingblock Fmoc-D-3-iodo-Tyr-OH was synthesized as described previously.[2]For the incorporation of this amino acid and subsequent peptidecyclization, PyBOP (Benzotriazol-1-yl-oxytripyrrolidinophosphoniumhexafluorophosphate)/collidine activation was used. Afterwards the crudecyclic peptides were lyophilized and purified by preparative RP-HPLC.Finally, the peptides were characterized by analytical HPLC andHPLC-ESI/MS on a LCQ LC-MS system from Finnigan (Bremen, Germany) usingthe Hewlett-Packard series 1100 HPLC system.

Additional details of the peptide syntheses are as follows:

Materials and Methods General

All commercially available chemical reagents were used without furtherpurification. Technical solvents were distilled before use.

Trityl resins were purchased from PepChem and amino acid derivativesfrom Iris Biotech GmbH, NovaBiochem, Merck, Bachem, Neosystem, Aldrich,while all other chemicals were bought from Aldrich, Fluke or Merck ifnot stated otherwise.

NMP (N-methylpyrrolidone) was obtained from BASF and used withoutfurther distillation. Dry solvents were purchased from Aldrich, Fluke orMerck. Dry dichloromethane was distilled from calcium hydride underargon and kept over a 4 Å molecular sieve. Water for RP-HPLC wasfiltered through a 0.22 μm filter (Millipore, Millipak40).

RP-HPLC analyses were performed using an Omnicrom YMC column (4.6 mm×250mm, 5 μm C₁₈, 1 mL/min). The eluent was a linear gradient from water(0.1% TFA) to acetonitrile (0.1% TFA) over 30 minutes (10% to 100%, 10%to 60%, and 20% to 50%) and detection at 220 nm and 254 nm. Theretention time (Rt) of the analytical RP-HPLC is given in minutes withthe gradient in percentage of acetonitrile. Semi-preparative RP-HPLC wasdone on a Beckman System Gold equipped with high pressure module 125,UV-detector 166, and using an Omnicrom ODS-A C18 (120 Å, 5 μm, 250 mm×20mm) column in combination with the same solvents as stated above.

NMR spectra were recorded on a Bruker Avance 250 or Bruker DMX 500 at298K. The chemical shifts are reported in ppm on the δ scale relative tothe solvent signal used. ¹³C-NMR-spectra were recorded using ¹H-broadband decoupling. Pulse programs were taken from the Bruker library ordeveloped by the inventors. Samples were prepared in tubes with adiameter of 5 mm using 0.5 ml of deuterated solvent. The resultingspectra were processed on a PC workstation using Bruker TOPSPIN 1.3software.

ESI mass spectra were recorded on a Finnigan LCQ in combination with anAgilent/HP 1100 RP-HPLC system using an Omnicrom YMC ODS-A C18 column(120 Å, 3 μm, 125 mm×2 mm) with a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The eluentwas a linear gradient (10% to 100% acetonitrile) from water toacetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid over 20 min with detection at 220 nm.

Loading of TCP-Resin (General Procedure)

Peptide synthesis was carried out using TCP-resin (1 mmol/g) followingstandard Fmoc-strategy [13]. Fmoc-Xaa-OH (1.2 eq.) were attached to theTCP resin with DIEA (diisopropylethylamine) (2.5 eq.) in anhydrous DCM(2 mL) at room temperature for 1 h. The remaining trityl chloride groupswere capped by addition of a solution of MeOH, DIEA (5:1; v:v) for 15min. The resin was filtered and washed thoroughly with DCM (5×) and MeOH(3×). The loading capacity was determined by weight after drying theresin under vacuum and ranged from 0.4-0.9 mmol/g.

Fmoc Deprotection (General Procedure)

The resin-bound Fmoc peptide was treated with 20% piperidine in NMP(v/v) for 10 minutes and a second time for 5 minutes. The resin waswashed with NMP (5×).

TBTU/HOBt Coupling (General Procedure)

A solution of Fmoc-Xaa-OH (2 eq.), TBTU (2 eq.), HOBt(hydroxybenzotriazole) (2 eq.), DIEA (5.2 eq.) in NMP was added to theresin-bound free amine peptide and shaken for 60 min at room temperatureand washed with NMP (5×).

o-Nitrobenzenesulfonyl (o-Ns) Protection

N-alkylation was carried out using an optimized protocol [14]. Asolution of o-Nitrobenzenelsulfonyl chloride (o-Ns-Cl) (5 eq.) andcollidine (10 eq.) in NMP was added to the resin-bound free aminepeptide and shaken for 15 min at room temperature. The resin was washedwith NMP (3×) and dry THF (3×).

N-Alkylation Under Mitsunobu Conditions

A solution of triphenylphosphine (5 eq.), DIAD (diisopropylazodicarboxylate) (5 eq.) and alcohol (10 eq.) in dry THF was added tothe resin-bound o-Ns-protected peptides and shaken for 10 min at roomtemperature. The resin was filtered off, and washed with dry THF (3×)and NMP (3×).

o-Ns Deprotection

For o-Ns deprotection, the resin-bound N-alkyl-N-o-Ns-peptides weretreated with a solution of mercaptoethanol (10 eq.) and DBU (5 eq.) inNMP for 5 minutes. The deprotection procedure was repeated one more timeand the resin was washed with NMP (5×).

HATU/HOAt Coupling (General Procedure)

A solution of Fmoc-Xaa-OH (2 eq.), HATU (2 eq.), HOAt(hydroxyazobenzotriazole) (2 eq.), DIEA (4 eq.) in NMP was added to theresin-bound Ar-methylamine free peptides and shaken for 3 hours at roomtemperature and washed with NMP (5×).

Alloc Deprotection

Pd(PPh₃)₄ (0.125 eq.) in dry DCM (0.5 ml/g resin) was added to theresin-bound Alloc (allyloxycarbonyl) peptide followed by an addition ofphenylsilan in dry DCM (0.5 ml/g resin) and shaken for 1 hour. The resinwas washed 5 times with DCM.

Peptide Cleavage

For complete cleavage from the resin the peptides were treated threetimes with a solution of DCM and HFIP (4:1; v:v) at room temperature forhalf an hour and the solvent evaporated under reduced pressure.

Cyclization

To a 1 mM solution of peptide and NaHCO₃ (5 eq.) DPPA(diphenylphosphorylazide) (3 eq.) was added at room temperature andstirred over night or until no linear peptide could be observed byESI-MS. The solvent was evaporated to a small volume under reducedpressure and the peptides precipitated in saturated NaCl solution andwashed two times in HPLC grade water.

Removal of Acid Labile Side Chain Protecting Groups

Cyclized peptides were stirred in a solution of TFA, water and TIPS(triisopropylsilane) (95:2.5:2.5) at room temperature for one hour oruntil no more protected peptide could be observed by ESI-MS andprecipitated in diethylether and washed two more times.

Acylation in Solution

For ornithine side chain acylation cyclized and fully deprotectedpeptides were stirred with TBTU (1 eq) and the corresponding acid (1 eq)in DMF for 15 minutes. The solution was directly injected into the HPLCfor purification.

Amino Acid Synthesis N^(α)-Alloc-N^(ε)-Boc-L-Ornithine

N^(ε)-Boc-L-ornithine (1.00 g, 4.3 mmol) was dissolved in a solution ofNa₂CO₃ (1.14 g, 10.75 mmol) in water and THF (50 ml, 1:1, v/v). Afteraddition of allyl chloroformate (0.46 ml, 4.3 mmol) the solution wasstirred for 1.5 h. The THF was evaporated under reduced pressure and theaqueous phase washed with diethylether (1×50 mL), acidified with conc.HCl to pH 1 and the product extracted with EtOAc (3×50 mL). The combinedorganic layers were dried (Na₂SO₄), filtered, concentrated and dried invacuo to give a colourless, sticky oil as sufficiently pure product(1.20 g, 90%). ¹H NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d₆): δ 12.52 (s, 1H, OH), 7.49 (d,7.72 Hz, 1H, NH^(α)), 6.78 (t, 5.05 Hz, 1H, N^(ε)), 5.91 (br m, 1H,CH^(Alloc)), 5.30 (dd, 17.15 Hz, 1.69 Hz, H^(AllocTerm1)), 5.19 (dd,10.17 Hz, 1.68 Hz, H^(AllocTerm2)), 4.48 (m, 2H, CH₂ ^(Alloc)), 3.91 (brm, 1H, H^(α)), 2.91 (m, 2H, H^(β)), 1.81-1.40 (br m, 4H, H^(γ), H^(δ)),1.38 (s, 9H, H^(Boc)). ¹³C NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d₆): 174.4, 156.5, 156.1,134.1, 117.4, 77.9, 65.1, 60.2, 54.1, 28.8, 26.7, 14.6. RP-HPLC: 16.7min.

N^(α)-Alloc-N^(ε)-Fmoc-L-Ornithine

N^(α)-Alloc-N^(ε)-Boc-L-ornithine (1.20 g, 3.87 mmol) was dissolved inDCM (10 mL) and TFA (5 mL) was added slowly. After stirring for 45 minthe liquid was evaporated.

The crude product was dissolved in a solution of Na₂CO₃ (1.02 g, 9.68mmol) in water and THF (40 ml, 1:1, v/v). After addition ofFmoc-N-Oxysuccinimid (1.31 g, 3.87 mmol) the solution was stirred for1.5 h. The THF was evaporated under reduced pressure and the aqueousphase washed with diethylether (1×50 mL), acidified with conc. HCl to pH1 and the product extracted with EtOAc (3×50 mL). The combined organiclayers were dried (Na₂SO₄), filtered, concentrated and dried in vacuo togive a colourless solid as sufficiently pure product (1.65 g, 97%). ¹HNMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d₆): δ 12.52 (s, 1H, OH), 7.49 (d, 7.72 Hz, 1H,NH^(α)), 6.78 (t, 5.05 Hz, 1H, NH^(ε)), 5.91 (br m, 1H, CH^(Alloc)),5.30 (dd, 17.15 Hz, 1.69 Hz, H^(AllocTerm1)), 5.19 (dd, 10.17 Hz, 1.68Hz, H^(AllocTerm2)), 4.48 (m, 2H, CH₂ ^(Alloc)), 3.91 (br m, 1H, H^(α)),2.91 (m, 2H, H^(β)), 1.81-1.40 (br m, 4H, H^(γ), H^(δ)), 1.38 (s, 9H,H^(Boc)). ¹³C NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d₆): 174.4, 156.5, 156.1, 134.1, 117.4,77.9, 65.1, 60.2, 54.1, 28.8, 26.7, 14.6. RP-HPLC: 21.9 min.

The reaction scheme is shown below:

1.2.1.2 Peptide Radioiodination

CPCR4 was labeled with ¹²³I-, ¹²⁴I- or ¹²⁵I-iodide using the Iodogenmethod.[2] 0.2 mg of the peptide was dissolved in 250 μl phosphatebuffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4). This solution was added to Eppendorf cupscoated with 150 μg Iodogen and was combined with the radioiodidesolution. After 15 min at room temperature, the solution was removedfrom the solid oxidizing reagent. Purification was performed usinggradient RP-HPLC. Radiochemical purity was generally >95%. For animalexperiments the fraction containing the radiolabeled peptide was dilutedwith water and bound to a Sep-Pak C18 column. Afterwards the column waswashed with water and the radiolabeled peptide was eluted with methanol.After removal of the methanol in vacuum the residue was dissolved anddiluted in PBS (pH 7.4). For storage at 4° C. the solution was acidifiedwith 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid in H₂O containing 20% ethanol.

1.2.1.3 Lipophilicity

For the determination of the lipophilicity 0.4-2.7 μCi of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 in500 μl PBS (pH 7.4) was mixed with 500 μl octanol and was vigorouslyvortexed. After centrifugation for quantitative phase separation, 100 μlfrom each phase were withdrawn and radioactivity was determined in agamma counter. The experiment was performed in triplicates and repeatedtwo times independently.

1.2.1.4 Cell Lines and Tissue Culture

The murine fibrosarcoma cell line CMS5[3] and the human 293T cellline[4] (kindly provided by R. Willemsen, Department of Clinical andTumour Immunology, Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam, TheNetherlands) were both cultured in Dulbeccos's modified Eagle's medium,supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal calf serum (PAA, Linz, Austria) and 1%(v/v) L-glutamine. The T-lymphocyte Jurkat cell line (ATCC) wasmaintained in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal calfserum (FCS) and 1% (v/v) L-glutamine. Media and supplements wereobtained from Biochrom (Berlin, Germany), unless otherwise mentioned.

1.2.1.5 Construction of the Retroviral Vector and Target CellTransduction

The cDNA coding for enhanced fluorescence protein was excised from pEGFP(BD Biosciences Clontech, Germany) by NcoI StuI digest, blunt endedusing Klenow enzyme and inserted into the unique SmaI site of pIRESneo3(BD Biosciences Clontech, Germany) to obtain pIRESeGFPneo3. In the nextstep the Nail fragment carrying IRES-eGFP was cloned into the NotI siteof pBullet (Schaff et al. 2003) to obtain pBulletlRESeGFP. The 1292 bpHindIII XbaI fragment of pcDNA3CXCR4[5] carrying the human chemokinereceptor type 4 (CXCR4) cDNA (kindly provided by B. Moser, Bern) wasisolated and cloned into the BamHI site of the retroviral vectorpBulletIRESeGFP after blunt ending all sites with Klenow enzyme. Theresulting vector was designated pBulletCXCR4-IRES-eGFP. Retrovirusproduction by transient transfection of 293T cells and transduction ofCMS5 cells have been described elsewhere.[6]

1.2.1.6 FACS Sorting and Analyses

EGFP and CXCR4 expression of trypsinized cells was analyzed with afluorescence activated cell sorter (Becton Dickinson FACS Vantage,Heidelberg, Germany) using Argon Laser beam (Spectra-Physics) ofexcitation energy 40 mW at 488 nm and the CellQuest Software. EGFPexpression was measured directly, using FL1 (530130 nm) filter. Deadcells were determined by addition of propidium iodide to the cells andfluorescence was determined using a FL2 585/42 nm filter. The percentageof dead cells was always ≦0.2%. The population of CXCR4 expressing CMS5cells was enriched by sorting CXCR4-EGFP-co-expressing cells for FL1with a minimum fluorescence of 20.

CXCR4 expression on the cell surface of trypsinized cells was determinedusing a phycoerythrine (PE)-labeled monoclonal rat antibody withspecificity for human CXCR4 (109, BD Biosciences Pharmingen, Heidelberg,Germany). Trypsinized cells were washed with FACS buffer (PBS, 0.5% FCS)and 1×10⁶ cells were stained with 0.5 μg antibody for 30 min. in thedark at 4° C. Cells were extensively washed with ice-cold FACS bufferand analyzed by flow cytometry. Nonspecific staining was assessed byPE-conjugated rat IgG_(2b,κ) (BD Biosciences Pharmingen, Heidelberg,Germany). Detection of CXCR4 on the cell surface was in the same samplesas EGFP and was detected using a 575/26 nm filter (FL2). CXCR-4 stainingwas plotted against EGFP fluorescence (FL1).

Where indicated cells were resuspended in medium supplemented with 0.5%bovine serum albumin (BSA) (Sigma, Taufkirchen, Germany), incubated withrecombinant human 100 nM SDF-1α (R&D Systems, Wiesbaden, Germany) for 1hr at 37° C. (adapted from protocols published previously)[7, 8];controls were incubated with diluent (PBS/0.1% BSA). Samples wereimmediately transferred to ice to avoid further internalization,centrifuged, washed with PBS/0.5% BSA and FACS staining for CXCR4 wasperformed as indicated above.

1.2.1.7 Receptor Binding Assays

For receptor binding assays cells were resuspended in PBS/0.2% BSA. Atotal of 200 μl of the suspension containing 400,000 cells (Jurkat,CMS5) or 200,000 cells (CMS5/CXCR4) were incubated with 25 μl of thetracer solution (containing 3.1 kBq, approx. 0.1 nM) and 25 μl of thediluent or the competitor at different concentrations. For determinationof IC₅₀ values, ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 was used as a tracer. SDF-1α was obtainedfrom R&D Systems (Wiesbaden, Germany) and ¹²⁵I-SDF-1α was purchased fromPerkin-Elmer (Boston, Mass., USA). For saturation curves the tracerconcentration was varied from 5 to 500 μM whereas nonspecific bindingwas determined in the presence of 1 μM cold CPCR4. After shaking for 2 hat room temperature, the incubation was terminated by centrifugation at700×g and 4° C. for 4 min. Cell pellets were washed once with cold PBSfollowed by a second centrifugation step or for internalization studies,two times with an acidic wash buffer (20 mM NaOAc, pH5.0). Cell boundradioactivity was determined by using a gamma counter. Experiments wererepeated 2-3 times in duplicates or triplicates. IC₅₀ values of thebinding curves were calculated by nonlinear regression on a one-site ortwo-site competition based model using Prism 3.0 (Graph Pad Software,Inc, San Diego). K_(D) and Bmax values were determined by nonlinearregression with the Prism 3.0 according to the manufacturer's protocol.

1.2.1.8 In Vivo Studies

For animal experiments parental CMS5 cells and transduced CMS5/CXCR4cells were injected subcutaneously in female Swiss nu/nu mice (CharlesRiver, France). Therefore for each mouse 1.5×10⁶ CMS5 cells and 2×10⁶CMS5/CXCR4 cells were resuspended in 75 μl PBS, respectively and mixedwith the same volume Matrigel-Matrix HC (BD Biosciences, Heidelberg,Germany) according to the manufacturer's protocol. Subsequently cellsuspension was inoculated at each shoulder, respectively. After 14-16days of tumour growth mice were used for imaging and biodistributionpurposes. All animal experiments were approved by the local authoritiesand are in compliance with the institutions guidelines.

1.2.1.9 Biodistribution Studies

370 kBq (10 μCi) of ¹²⁵I-labeled CPCR4 were injected intravenously intothe tail vain of tumour bearing mice. The animals were sacrificed anddissected 30, 60 and 120 min after tracer injection. Organs of interestwere removed and the radioactivity was measured in weighted tissuesamples using the 1480 Wizard3 gamma counter from Wallac (Turku,Finland). Results are expressed as percent injected dose per gram tissueweight (% ID/g). Each value represents the mean of four to six animals.

1.2.2 Results 1.2.2.1 CPCR4-Synthesis and Radiolabeling

The synthesis of CPCR4, the cyclic pentapeptidecyclo(D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly) (SEQ ID NO:1) that shows high affinity andselectivity for the CXCR4 receptor, was carried out by using standardFmoc solid phase peptide synthesis protocols on an acid labiletritylchloride resin as described previously.[1, 2] Additionalmodifications by N-alkylation were done using a modified protocoldesigned for N-methylation via a Fukuyama-Mitsunobu reaction. [14] Afterpeptide chain assembly the side chain protected peptide was cleaved fromthe resin and was cyclized using the DPPA method.[2] After removal ofall protecting groups the crude cyclic pentapeptide was further purifiedby preparative HPLC. Analytical HPLC and HPLC/ESI-MS analyses provedhomogeneity and identity of the peptides.

The radiolabeling at the Tyr side chain of CPCR4 was performed eitherwith ¹²³I- or ¹²⁵I-iodide using the Iodogen method and subsequentseparation of the unlabeled precursor by HPLC. The HPLC conditionsapplied allowed very efficient separation of the radioiodinated peptidefrom the unlabeled precursor and side products thus resulting in highradiochemical purity (>99%) and specific activity. The specific activityof the labeled peptides was assumed to be that of the radioiodide usedfor labeling (>2000 Ci/mmol for ¹²⁵I, >5000 Ci/mmol for ¹²³I). Whereasthe radioiodide incorporation was usually >95%, the overallradiochemical yield of the ¹²³I- and ¹²⁵I-labeled peptides after HPLCpurification and biocompatible formulation was in the range of 50%.After biocompatible formulation in PBS the lipophilicity of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4was determined as octanol/water(PBS) partition coefficient. A log Pvalue of −0.04 (±0.01) was obtained.

1.2.2.2 CXCR4-Vector Construction and Viral Infection

The mouse fibrosarcoma cell line CMS5 was retrovirally transduced withCXCR4-IRES-eGFP. In the cell pool 70-80% of the retrovirallyCXCR4-transduced CMS5 cells were positive for eGFP-expression asdetermined by FACS analysis with a mean fluorescence intensity of 130.Growth curves and survival assay (XTT) demonstrated that both cell lineshad similar growth kinetics in vitro (data not shown). When CMS5 cellsand CMS5/CXCR4 cells were stained for human CXCR4, CMS5 showed abackground staining of 2.2% whereas 61.6% of CMS5/CXCR4 cells stainedpositive for human CXCR4, exhibiting a mean fluorescence intensity of 66and 57.9% of the cells were positive for both CXCR4 and eGFP. (FIG.1A,B) The cell line was stable over time as indicated by repeated FACSanalyses (data not shown).

1.2.2.3 Receptor Binding Studies

The suitability of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 as a novel CXCR4-radioligand was testedfirst at Jurkat cells that endogenously express the CXCR4 receptor [9,10] and subsequently at CMS5/CXCR4 cells that were retrovirallytransduced for CXCR4 expression. For both cell lines reproducible highspecific binding was found by using ¹²⁵I-SDF-1α (50-70%) and ¹²⁵I-CPCR4(>90%). At parental CMS5 cells both tracers showed negligible binding inthe range of the non-specific binding of Jurkat and transducedCMS5/CXCR4 cells. From saturation binding curves nearly identical K_(D)values in the sub-nanomolar range (0.3 to 0.4 nM) were obtained for bothcell lines indicating high affinity of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 for the CXCR4receptor. (FIG. 2A,C) Furthermore a high number of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 bindingsites (Bmax) was determined. Whereas for Jurkat cells the Bmax value wasmore dependent on origin and varies stronger with culture conditions,the number of binding sites (Bmax) on CMS5/CXCR4 cells was constant andbetter reproducible (23±6 fmol receptor protein).

With ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 as novel radioligand the affinity profile of distinctCXCR4 selective ligands was ascertained in competitive radioligandbinding assays. (FIG. 2B,D) For SDF-1α, CPCR4 and its non-radioactiveiodinated reference compound Iodo-CPCR4 high affinities with nanomolarIC₅₀ values were found either with ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 or ¹²⁵I-SDF-1α at theCXCR4 receptor. In comparison with SDF-1α and the cyclic pentapeptidesthe CXCR4 selective bicyclam AMD3100 showed reduced affinity with bothtracers. Depending on tracer and competitor two CXCR4 binding sites weremonitored as reported previously.[9] For analysis of the binding curvesone-site and two-site competition curve fits were used as required. Theresulting high and low affinity binding sites were designated as (1) and(2). (FIG. 2B,D).

The receptor internalization after binding of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 at the CXCR4receptor was analyzed after two short washing steps with an acidicbuffer (pH5.0). Thereafter the tracer was mostly releasable from thereceptor (>80%). This indicates that no receptor internalization occursas expected from a receptor antagonist (data not shown).

1.2.2.4 Receptor Functionality

To determine whether the human CXCR4 is functional in mouse cells, cellswere pre-incubated with human SDF-1α, stained for surface CXCR4 andsubsequently FACS analysis was performed. 54.7% of CMS5/CXCR4 cellsstained positive for CXCR4 after pre-incubation with human SDF-1α ascompared to 79.2% of control-treated cells, indicating functionality ofthe human receptor in murine CMS5 cells. The CXCR4-background stainingin CMS5 cells decreased from 7.9 to 2.7% in the presence of SDF-1α.Jurkat cells served as positive control and did not exhibit a decreasein % positive cells, but a drop in mean fluorescence intensity from385.4 to 155.4. In CMS5/CXCR4 cells the mean fluorescence intensity diddrop from 209.0 of mock treated cells to 80.5 of SFD-1α treated cells.This indicates that Jurkat cells do contain more CXCR4 receptors thanCMS5/CXCR4 cells.

1.2.2.5 In Vivo Studies

The biodistribution and tumour accumulation of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 was determined30, 60 and 120 min post injection in CMS5 and CMS5/CXCR4 tumour bearingnude mice. Highest tumour accumulation of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 in CMS5/CXCR4tumours was achieved after 60 min with 5.5 (±1.5) percent of injecteddose per gram (% ID/g) whereas in parental CMS5 tumours only 0.6 (±0.2)%ID/g were observed at this time. After 30 min ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 shows anaccumulation in CMS5/CXCR4 tumours with 4.7 (±1.3)% ID/g and after 120min with 3.8 (±1.4)% ID/g. For all time points a higher traceraccumulation was observed only for liver, intestine and kidneys. Otherorgans showed only very low background accumulation. Whereas in theliver the accumulation of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 decreases with the time from 27.7(±4.9)% ID/g after 30 min to 15.0 (±1.8)% ID/g at 120 min, the traceraccumulation in the intestine slightly increases from 16.0 (±4.7)% ID/gafter 30 min to 19.2 (±4.5)% ID/g at 120 min indicative for themetabolic processes in these organs. The tracer accumulation in thekidneys shows a peak after 60 min with 12.2 (±2.3)% ID/g and decreasesto 8.2 (±1.1)% ID/g after 120 min. (FIG. 3A,B)

FIG. 4 shows PET/SPECT results for radioiodinated-CPCR4 distribution inmice bearing both CXCR4-positive (CMS5/CXCR4) and negative (CMS5control) tumours. A clear delineation can be observed due to thedifference in CPCR4 uptake of the two types of tumour. MRI results areshown for comparison. The CXCR4 positive tumour was recognisable by PETeven after 25 hr post injection. Similar results were obtained using PETwith ¹⁸F-labeled radioligand, and using a gamma camera with¹²³1-labeling. Similarly, in ex vivo analysis of cryosections of tumoursusing a micro-imager, marked differences in radiation could be seenbetween positive and negative tumours.

Example 2 Development of Cyclic Peptides for Targeting CXCR4 ChemokineReceptor Expression

Several diseases like HIV-1 infection, cancer metastasis, rheumatoidarthritis and chronic lymphocytic B-cell leukemia are linked to theinteraction of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor to its natural ligand, the68 amino acid containing protein stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α)[11]. One strategy for the treatment of these diseases could be to blockthe interaction between CXCR4 and SDF-1α with small CXCR4 antagonists.Furthermore, radiolabeling of suitable compounds with appropriateradioisotopes could provide agents for imaging of CXCR4 expression invivo via PET.

Previous studies by Fujii et al. on CXCR4 antagonists led to the highaffinity cyclic pentapeptide CPCR4, having the sequencecyclo[Gly-D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI][1]. To further improve this structure,different approaches have been chosen with respect to metabolicstability, bioavailability, conformational rigidity and chemicalversatility for radiolabeling.

First, an N-methyl scan of the backbone amides was performed toinfluence conformational freedom and to increase metabolic stability andbioavailability. Ar-methylation of arginine residues yielded peptideswith useful affinity (IC₅₀ values of 23 nM (N-Me)Arg³ and 31 nM(N-Me)Arg⁴, respectively, with Arg residues numbered according to theirposition in the sequence as set out in the preceding paragraph) whereasN-methylation of other amino acids noticeably decreased the affinity(IC₅₀>100 nM). By substitution of Arg³ by ornithine, the affinity wasmostly retained [12]. The delta-amino group of Orn can be alkylated oracylated via radiolabeled groups containing short lived isotopes.Moreover, the bioavailability should be improved as the high basicity ofthe two guanidino groups could be reduced. First ornithine-acylatedderivatives showed IC₅₀ values between 11 and 35 nM enabling for thefirst time ¹⁸F-radiolabeling of small CXCR4 antagonists for PET imagingin vivo. The panel below shows the results obtained with cyclicOrn-containing pentapeptides in which the Orn is delta-N substitutedwith FB, FP, Ac and Am, respectively.

Affinities of Various CXCR4 Antagonists

The results of binding assays with N^(α)-monomethylated cyclicpentapeptides (N^(α)-methyl scan) are shown in Table 1 below (note thatin the following tables, peptides having IC₅₀ values >250 nM, and thusnot falling within the first to third aspects of the present invention,are included for comparative purposes and are marked with * after theIC₅₀ value):

TABLE 1 IC₅₀ Calculated Observed Code Sequence [nM] mass m/z (m + H)CPCR4* cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly]  4 (SEQ ID NO: 1) OD1cyc[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] 23 743.39 744.7 (SEQ ID NO: 2) OD3cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-(Me)Arg-Nal-Gly] 31 743.39 744.7 (SEQ ID NO: 3) OD5cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-(Me)Nal-Gly] 894* 743.39 744.7 (SEQ ID NO: 38) OD7cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-(Me)Gly] 136  743.39 744.6 (SEQ ID NO: 4) OD9cyc[(Me)D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] 247  743.39 744.7 (SEQ ID NO: 11)

The structure of OD1 (cyc[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly]) (SEQ ID NO:2) isas follows:

From these results, it can be observed that a loss of affinity by afactor of only 5-10 is obtained when Arg residues are methylated. Alarger loss is obtained when other residues are methylated.

Corresponding results with N^(□)-dimethylated pentapeptides are shownbelow (Table 2), indicating a further loss of affinity from such amodification:

TABLE 2  IC₅₀ Calculated Observed Code Sequence [nM] mass m/z (m + H)OD11 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Arg] >1000* 757.4 758.7(SEQ ID NO: 39) OD12 cyc[(Me)Arg-(Me)Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg] >1000* 757.4758.6 (SEQ ID NO: 40) OD13 cyc[Arg-Nal-(Me)Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Arg] >1000*757.4 758.7 (SEQ ID NO: 41) OD14cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Arg] >1000* 757.4 758.6 (SEQ ID NO: 42)OD15  cyc[Arg-Nal-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg] ~300-400* 757.4 758.8(SEQ ID NO: 43) OD16 cyc[Arg-Nal-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-(Me)Arg] ~1000* 757.4758.8 (SEQ ID NO: 44) OD18  cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-Arg] >1000*757.4 758.8 (SEQ ID NO: 45) OD19cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-Arg] >1000* 757.4 758.9 (SEQ ID NO: 46)OD20 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg] 100-200 757.4 758.7(SEQ ID NO: 47) OD21 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg] >1000* 757.4758.6 (SEQ ID NO: 48)

The results of binding assays with pentapeptides in which Arg wassubstituted with ornithine or citrulline are shown in Table 3 below:

TABLE 3  IC₅₀ Calculated Observed Code Sequence [nM] mass m/z (m + H)OD23 cyc[Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-Orn-Orn] >1000* 645.33 646.5 (SEQ ID NO: 49) OD24cyc[Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg-Orn] ~1000* 687.35 688.6 (SEQ ID NO: 50) OD25cyc[Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-Orn-Arg]   9 ± 0.1 687.35 688.4 (SEQ ID NO: 51) OD26cyc[Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-Cit-Cit] >1000* 731.34 732.6 (SEQ ID NO: 52) OD27cyc[Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-Cit-Arg] 35 ± 7  730.36 731.6 (SEQ ID NO: 53) OD28cyc[Nal-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg-Cit] >1000* 730.36 731.7 (SEQ ID NO: 54)The results of Table 3 indicate that the first Arg residue in cyclicpentapeptides may be substituted with a cationic residue, such asornithine, without dramatic loss of affinity.

In an evaluation of side chain-acylated ornithine derivatives forincorporation of ¹⁸F-containing prosthetic groups, it was found that thefluorobenzoylated derivative showed the highest affinity (11 nM—seepanel above). This compound showed a relatively high lipophilicity (LogP 1.06).

A number of other Orn-N^(δ) and/or Orn-N^(α)-modified pentapeptides werealso prepared, including a series of derivatives with N^(δ) spacermoieties. The CXCR4 binding results are shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4 IC₅₀ Calculated Observed Sequence [nM] mass m/z (m + H)cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Me)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 22) 105 ± 7  701.36 702.7cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Bz)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 23) 155 ± 63 777.4 778.6cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(N1)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 18) 40 ± 3 827.41 828.6cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(N2)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 19) 49 ± 1 827.41 828.7cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, N1)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 20)    39.7 841.43 842.7cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, N2)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 21)    34.2 841.43 842.7cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 13) 11 ± 2 809.37 810.6cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Bz, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ 1D NO: 24) 100 899.41 900.7cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 30)  78 ± 25 823.38 824.6cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Ahx)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 25)  70 ± 23 800.43 801.7cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Ahx₂)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ 1D NO: 55)  947* 913.51 914.9cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Ahx₃)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 26) 227 1026.6 1027.9cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 27) 125 832.42 833.7cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS₂)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 28) 189 977.49 978.9cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS₃)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 29) 146 1122.57 1123.9cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Ac)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 15)  29 ± 11 729.36 730.6cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Am)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 16) 35 ± 7 730.36 731.6cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(FP)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 14)  35 ± 13 761.37 762.6cyc[D-Tyr-Orn(Palm)-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 37) >1000*  925.58 926.9

In addition, a series of pentapeptides containing derivatives of D-Ornwere prepared, together with pentapeptides in which B is His or Phe. TheCXCR4-binding results are shown in Table 5.

TABLE 5 IC₅₀ Calculated Observed Sequence [nM] mass m/z (m ± H)cyc[D-Tyr-D-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly]  86 809.37 810.6 (SEQ ID NO: 31)cyc[D-Tyr-(Me)D-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] 8.7 ± 0.6 823.38 824.6(SEQ ID NO: 32) cyc[D-Tyr-(Me)D-Orn(Me, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly]  59 837.4 838.6(SEQ ID NO: 33) cyc[D-Tyr-His-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 34)  30cyc[D-Tyr-Phe-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 35) 154

A number of cyclic hexapeptides in which an Ala or similar residue wasinserted in the chain were tested for binding affinity to CXCR4. Theresults are shown in Table 6 (note—Dap(FP) is(N-fluoropropionyl)-diaminopropionic acid):

TABLE 6  Code Sequence IC₅₀ [nM] CPCR4* cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly](SEQ ID NO: 1)    4 BL 36 cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 56)75 (±7) BL 56 cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-D-Ala-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 57) >1000*BL 58 cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Dap(FP)-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 58) ~1000* BL 37cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-D-Ala-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 59) ~1000* BL 38cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-nal-Nal(SEQ ID NO: 60) >1000* BL 39cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-D-Ala-Ala-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 61) >1000* BL 40cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-nal-Ala-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 56) ~1000* BL 42cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 60) >1000* BL130cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 62)  1000* BL131cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Ala-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 63) >1000* BL132cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Ala-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 64) >1000* BL133cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-D-Ala-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 65) >1000* BL134cyc[D-Tyr-D-Ala-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 66) >1000* BL135cyc[D-Tyr-Ala-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 67) >1000* BL136cyc[D-Ala-D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 68) >1000* BL137cyc[Ala-D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly] (SEQ ID NO: 69) ~1000* BL158cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Ala-Ala] (SEQ ID NO: 70)  114

The results of Table 6 suggest that Ala may be inserted between NaI andGly, and/or Gly may be replaced with Ala, with only moderate loss ofaffinity. Insertion of other residues in this position, or insertion ofany of the residues studied in Table 6 in other positions, was not welltolerated.

A further N^(α)-methyl scan was conducted with a series of cyclichexapeptides (N-mono-, di- and trimethylated), as reported in Table 7:

TABLE 7  Code Sequence IC₅₀ [nM] BL56 cyc[Arg-Nal-D-Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 71) >1000* BL58 cyc[Arg-Nal-Dap(FP)-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 72) ~1000* BL66 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 73) >1000* BL67 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 74) >1000* BL68 cyc[Arg-Nal-(Me)Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 75) >1000* BL69 cyc[Arg-Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 76) >1000* BL70 cyc[Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Ara](SEQ ID NO: 77) ~200-300 BL71 cyc[Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 78) ~1000* BL72 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 79) >1000* BL73 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 80) >1000* BL74 cyc[Arg-Nal-(Nle)Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 81) >1000* BL75 cyc[Arg-Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 82) >1000* BL76 cyc[Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly-(Nle)D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 83) >1000* BL77 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 84) >1000* BL78 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-Gly-(MOD-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 85) >1000* BL79 cyc[Arg-Nal-(Me)Ala-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Ar](SEQ ID NO: 86) >1000* BL80 cyc[Arg-Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-(MOD-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 87) >1000* BL81 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 88) >1000* BL82 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 89) >1000* BL83 cyc[Arg-Nal-(Me)Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-Ara](SEQ ID NO: 90) >1000* BL84 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-(Me)Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 91) >1000* BL85 cycfArg-(Me)Nal-(Me)Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 92) >1000* BL86 cyc[(Me)Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 93) >1000* BL88 cyc[Arg-Nal-(Me)Ala-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 94) >1000* BL89 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 95) >1000* BL92 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 96) >1000* BL93 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 97) >1000* BL94 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-(Me)Ala-Gly-D-Tyr-(Me)Arg](SEQ ID NO: 98) >1000* BL96 cyc[Arg-Nal-(Me)Ala-(Me)Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 99) >1000* BL97 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 100) >1000* BL98 cyc[(Me)Arg-Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 101) >1000* BL99 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-(Me)Ala-Gly-(Me)D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 102) >1000* BL102 cyc[Arg-(Me)Nal-(Me)Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 103) >1000* BL104 cyc[(Me)Arg-(Me)Nal-Ala-(Me)Gly-D-Tyr-Arg](SEQ ID NO: 104) >1000*

These results indicate appreciable loss of binding affinity afterN^(α)-methylation of cyclic hexapeptides, although the N-methyl-D-Tyrhexapeptide did not suffer such a significant loss of affinity as mostof the other derivatives.

In order to allow more flexibility for the attachment of prostheticgroups for labeling, the introduction of an amino group was investigatedby substitution of the Gly residue in CPCR4 for Dap. The results (Table8) indicate only a moderate loss of affinity following this substitution(note—FP: 2-fluoropropionyl; FB: 4-fluorobenzoyl).

TABLE 8  Code Sequence IC₅₀ [nM] CPCR4 cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Nal-Gly](SEQ ID NO: 1)   4 Dap(FP)-8k cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Nal-Dap(FP)] (SEQ ID NO: 17)140 Dap(FB)-8k cyc[D-Tyr-Arg-Nal-Dap(FB)] (SEQ ID NO: 105)  350*

Other possible modifications of CPCR4 or the other peptides describedherein include NaI substitutions with other fluorine-containing aromaticmoieties as analogues for the corresponding ¹⁸F-labeled compounds. Forexample:

AMS (FB) is an oxime of an aminooxy-serine moiety and4-fluorobenzaldehyde.

For the development of fluorescent CXCR4 ligands, it is possible tosubstitute NaI with a fluorescent Dap derivative, such as Dap(NBD) (NBDis 7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole). This derivative showed an affinitywhich was reduced compared to CPCR4, although results from FACS analysissuggest that such a ligand may still be suitable for the investigationof CXCR4 expression by such a technique.

Example 3 Multimodal Molecular Imaging of CXCR4 Chemokine ReceptorExpression with Peptide-Based PET Probes and Bioluminescence

A key role in metastasis and organ specific homing of tumor cells isattributed to the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its endogenous ligandSDF-1α. For targeting of CXCR4 expression in vivo we developed aradiolabeled cyclic peptide, CPCR4. ¹²⁵I-CPCR4 is the first PET imagingprobe that binds with high affinity to CXCR4 (K_(D)=0.4 nM), shows highaccumulation in CXCR4 expressing tumors in vivo (5.5% ID/g, 1 h postinjection), and allows a clear delineation of CXCR4 positive tumors.

To allow correlation of tumor development with receptor expression andto monitor potential therapeutic interventions using thenon-radiolabeled probe by multimodality (bioluminescence and nuclear)imaging, tumor cells have been transduced with luciferase (luc).Lentiviral vectors were constructed containing genes of CXCR4 and luc orotherwise only luc or eGFP as controls. These vectors were successfullyused for stable transduction of murine CMS5 fibrosarcoma cells. Surfaceexpression of CXCR4 on CMS5/CXCR4/luc cells was investigated inradioligand binding assays and FACS studies. High affinity andspecificity of CPCR4-binding and functional expression of luc wereascertained in cell assays. Transduced cells were injectedsubcutaneously into nude mice. Animals were analyzed with μ-PET usingradiolabeled CPCR4 and bioluminescence (luc)/fluorescence (eGFP)imaging. Ex vivo analysis was performed by autoradiography,bioluminescence measurements and immunohistochemistry. For a betterunderstanding of CPCR4-binding and to design ligands with improvedpharmacokinetics, a newly proposed CXCR4 receptor model has beendeveloped and is currently validated by investigating CXCR4 receptormutants. Based on this computer model, studies on the structure-activityrelationship of CPCR4-derivatives are performed for tracer optimizationand investigation of other labeling options.

In conclusion, this approach allows imaging of CXCR4 expression in vivoand allows development of enhanced imaging probes for the non-invasiveinvestigation of the metastatic potential of tumors and determination ofCXCR4 expression for individualized therapy.

Example 4 Preparation of a Conjugate Between a CXCR4-Binding CyclicOligopeptide and a Chelating Agent

The person of ordinary skill in the art would readily be able to preparea construct or conjugate consisting of a cyclic oligopeptide of thepresent invention, a suitable spacer moiety (preferably one of thelinker moieties described herein), and a chelator or other moietysuitable for complexation of a radiometal. Typically, as described innumerous publications in recent years, DOTA, for example, is coupled toa linker-bearing, fully protected oligopeptide, either using atri-protected (e.g. tri-tert-butyl-protected) DOTA using standardactivation procedures, or using pre-activated species of DOTA, forexample mono-, di-, tri- or tetra N-succinimidyl esters or 4-nitrophenylesters of DOTA. Alternatively, standard peptide coupling conditions canbe used to achieve this goal.

Similarly, other chelators/complexation moieties, such as TETA or DTPA,can be coupled. DTPA may also be coupled using the cyclic bis-anhydride.Obviously, the chelator may also be pre-coupled to the spacer, thusresulting in the formation of the peptide-spacer bond in the final step.

This coupling can also be achieved by a person of ordinary skill in theart using the well-described coupling procedures established in theradiopharmaceutical field. Other coupling routes such as oxime orhydrazone formation, as well as other selective methods, such as thereaction of thiols and maleimides, may be used to reach similar results.

The foregoing Examples are intended to illustrate specific embodimentsof the present invention and are not intended to limit the scopethereof, the scope being defined by the appended claims. All documentscited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

REFERENCES

-   1. Fujii, N., et al., Molecular-size reduction of a potent    CXCR4-chemokine antagonist using orthogonal combination of    conformation- and sequence-based libraries. Angew Chem Int Ed    Engl, 2003. 42(28): p. 3251-3.-   2. Haubner, R., et al., Radiolabeled alpha(v) beta3 integrin    antagonists: a new class of tracers for tumor targeting. J Nucl    Med, 1999. 40(6): p. 1061-71.-   3. Gansbacher, B., et al., Retroviral vector-mediated    gamma-interferon gene transfer into tumor cells generates potent and    long lasting antitumor immunity. Cancer Res, 1990. 50(24): p.    7820-5.-   4. DuBridge, R. B., et al., Analysis of mutation in human cells by    using an Epstein-Barr virus shuttle system. Mol Cell Biol, 1987.    7(1): p. 379-87.-   5. Loetscher, M., et al., Cloning of a human seven-transmembrane    domain receptor, LESTR, that is highly expressed in leukocytes. J    Biol Chem, 1994. 269(1): p. 232-7.-   6. Anton, M., et al., Use of the norepinephrine transporter as a    reporter gene for non-invasive imaging of genetically modified    cells. J Gene Med, 2004. 6(1): p. 119-26.-   7. Fan, G. H., et al., Hsc/Hsp70 interacting protein (hip)    associates with CXCR2 and regulates the receptor signaling and    trafficking. J Biol Chem, 2002. 277(8): p. 6590-7.-   8. Forster, R., et al., Intracellular and surface expression of the    HIV-1 coreceptor CXCR4/fusin on various leukocyte subsets: rapid    internalization and recycling upon activation. J Immunol, 1998.    160(3): p. 1522-31.-   9. Gupta, S. K., et al., Pharmacological evidence for complex and    multiple site interaction of CXCR4 with SDF-1alpha: implications for    development of selective CXCR4 antagonists. Immunol Lett, 2001.    78(1): p. 29-34.-   10. Hesselgesser, J., et al., Identification and characterization of    the CXCR4 chemokine receptor in human T cell lines: ligand binding,    biological activity, and HIV-1 infectivity. J Immunol, 1998.    160(2): p. 877-83.-   11. Balkwill, F., Nature Reviews, 2004, 4: p. 540-550-   12. Tamamura H et al., J Med Chem, 2005, 48: p. 3280-9-   13 Fields G B, Noble R L. Solid phase peptide synthesis utilizing    9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl amino acids. Int. J. Pept. Protein Res.    1990; 35: p. 161-214.-   14 Biron E, Chatterjee J, Kessler H. Optimized Selective    N-Methylation of Peptides on Solid Support. J. Peptide Sci. 2006;    12: p. 213-219.

1. A compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof,the compound having a binding affinity for a CXCR4 receptor, measured asIC50 in the presence of ¹²⁵I-CPCR4, of 250 nM or lower, wherein thecompound is a cyclic oligopeptide moiety having a motif B-Arg orB-(Me)Arg within the cyclic moiety, and wherein B is a basic amino acid,a derivative thereof, or phenylalanine, provided that the motif is B-Argwhen B is a N^(α)-methyl derivative of a basic amino acid, and providedthat the cyclic oligopeptide moiety has a sequence other thancyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-NaI-Gly] or cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn-Arg-NaI-Gly], NaI beingL-3-(2-naphthyl)alanine.
 2. The compound of claim 1, wherein the cyclicoligopeptide moiety has the sequence:cyclo[D-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-B-Arg/(Me)Arg-Z-(Ala)_(n)-X] wherein: B is asdefined in claim 1; Z is an amino acid containing an aromatic group inits side chain; X selected from Ala, Gly, Dap (diaminopropionic acid),Dab (diaminobutyric acid), or N-substituted derivatives thereof; and nis 1 or
 0. 3. The compound of claim 2, wherein B is selected from Arg,Orn, D-Orn, Cit and His, or N-substituted derivatives thereof.
 4. Thecompound of claim 2, wherein B is N^(α)-substituted with a Me group. 5.The compound of claim 2, wherein B is Orn or D-Orn, the ornithineresidue being substituted at N^(δ) with one or two groups selected fromfluorobenzoyl (FB), fluoropropionyl (FP), acetyl (Ac), amido (Am), Me,1-naphthylmethyl (N1), 2-naphthylmethyl (N2), benzyl (Bz) and acylspacer moieties, wherein the acyl spacer moiety is an acyl groupcontaining a chain of 1-14 carbons, optionally interrupted byheteroatoms, and having a nucleophilic functional group at its enddistal to the ornithine N^(δ), or the ornithine residue beingsubstituted at N^(α) with a Me group.
 6. The compound of claim 6,wherein the acyl spacer moiety is selected from aminohexanoyl (Ahx),triethyleneglycolamino acyl (TGAS), (Ahx)₂, (Ahx)₃, (TGAS)₂ and (TGAS)₃.7. The compound of claim 6, wherein Orn is substituted at N^(δ) with FB,FP, Ac, Am, N1, N2, Me and N1, Me and N2, Bz, Bz and FB, Bz and FP, Meand FB, Me and FP, or Me.
 8. The compound of claim 6, wherein D-Orn issubstituted at N^(δ) with FB, FP, Me and FB, or Me and FP, andoptionally substituted at N^(α) with Me.
 9. The compound of claim 2,wherein Z is selected from NaI, (Me)NaI, Dap(FB) or AMS (FB) (an oximeof aminooxy serine and 4-fluorobenzaldehyde).
 10. The compound of claim2, wherein X is selected from Gly, (Me)Gly, Ala, Dap Dap(FP), Dab,Dab(FP), Dab(FB), or Dap(FB).
 11. The compound of claim 2, wherein thecyclic oligopeptide moiety has the sequence: cyclo[D-Tyr B-Arg-Z-X],provided that not more than one of the residues in the sequence isN^(α)-methylated.
 12. The compound of claim 2, wherein the cyclicoligopeptide moiety has the sequence:cyclo[D-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-B-Arg/(Me)Arg-Z-X], wherein B is selected fromArg, (Me)Arg, Orn, Cit, Orn(FB), Orn(FP), Orn(Ac), Orn(Am), Orn(N1),Orn(N2), Orn(Me, N1), Orn(Me, N2), Orn(Me), Orn(Bz), Orn(Bz,FB),Orn(Ahx), Orn(Ahx₂), Orn(Ahx₃), Orn(TGAS), Orn(TGAS₂), Orn(TGAS₃),Orn(Me,FB), D-Orn(FB), (Me)D-Orn(FB), (Me)D-Orn(Me,FB), His and Phe,provided that not more than one of the residues in the said sequence maybe N^(α)-methylated.
 13. The compound of claim 2, wherein the firstresidue is D-Tyr, the third residue is Arg, Z is NaI, and X is Gly. 14.The compound of claim 2, wherein the cyclic oligopeptide moiety has asequence selected from: cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-(Me)Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-(Me)Gly];cyclo[D-Tyr-Cit-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Ala-Ala] cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-Nal-(Me)Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)Arg-Arg-(Me)Nal-Gly]cyclo[(Me)D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Ala-Gly] cyclo[(Me)D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(FP)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Ac)-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Am)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Nal-Dap(FP)] cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(N1)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(N2)-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, N1)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me, N2)-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Me)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Bz)-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Bz, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Ahx)-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(Ahx3)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS)-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS2)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-Orn(TGAS3)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-D-Orn(Me, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-D-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)D-Orn(FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly]cyclo[D-Tyr-(Me)D-Orn(Me, FB)-Arg-Nal-Gly] cyclo[D-Tyr-His-Arg-Nal-Gly]or cyclo[D-Tyr-Phe-Arg-Nal-Gly].


15. The compound of claim 1 which has been modified by the attachment ofone or more hydrophilic moieties.
 16. A pharmaceutical compositioncomprising the compound of claim 1 together with one or morepharmaceutically acceptable excipients.
 17. A method for treating aneoplastic condition, the method comprising administering to a subjecthaving a neoplasia the compound of claim
 1. 18. The compound of claim 1further comprising a cytotoxic moiety.
 19. The compound of claim 18,wherein the cyclic oligopeptide moiety has the sequence:cyclo[D-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-B-Arg/(Me)Arg-Z-(Ala)_(n)-X] wherein: B isselected from Arg, Orn, D-Orn, Cit and His, or N-substituted derivativesthereof; Z is an amino acid containing an aromatic group in its sidechain; X selected from Ala, Gly, Dap, Dab, or N-substituted derivativesthereof; and n is 1 or
 0. 20. The compound of claim 19, wherein B isselected from Arg, (Me)Arg, Orn, Cit, Orn(FB), Orn(FP), Orn(Ac),Orn(Am), Orn(N1), Orn(N2), Orn(Me, N1), Orn(Me, N2), Orn(Me), Orn(Bz),Orn(Bz,FB), Orn(Ahx), Orn(Ahx₂), Orn(Ahx₃), Orn(TGAS), Orn(TGAS₂),Orn(TGAS₃), Orn(Me,FB), D-Orn(FB), (Me)D-Orn(FB), (Me)D-Orn(Me,FB), Hisand Phe, provided that not more than one of the residues in the saidsequence may be N^(α)-methylated.
 21. The compound of claim 19, whereinZ is selected from NaI, (Me)NaI, Dap(FB) or AMS (FB).
 22. The compoundof claim 19, wherein X is selected from Gly, (Me)Gly, Ala, Dap Dap(FP),Dab, Dab(FP), Dab(FB), or Dap(FB).
 23. The compound of claim 18, whereinthe cytotoxic moiety is bound directly to the cyclic oligopeptide moietyor the cytotoxic moiety is attached to the cyclic oligopeptide moiety bya spacer.
 24. The compound of claim 18, wherein the cytotoxic moiety isa chemotherapeutic compound.
 25. A method for treating a neoplasticcondition, the method comprising administering to a subject having aneoplasia the compound of claim
 18. 26. The method of claim 25, whereinthe neoplasia has, or is suspected of having, metastatic potential. 27.A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 18together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. 28.The compound of claim 1 further comprising a detectable label.
 29. Thecompound of claim 28, wherein the cyclic oligopeptide moiety has thesequence: cyclo[D-Tyr/(Me)D-Tyr-B-Arg/(Me)Arg-Z-(Ala)_(n)-X] wherein: Bis selected from Arg, Orn, D-Orn, Cit and His, or N-substitutedderivatives thereof; Z is an amino acid containing an aromatic group inits side chain; X selected from Ala, Gly, Dap, Dab, or N-substitutedderivatives thereof; and n is 1 or
 0. 30. The compound of claim 28,wherein the detectable label is a fluorescent moiety, a magnetic orparamagnetic moiety, or a radionuclide.